1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an apparatus for providing steering to a vehicle, and more particularly, to an apparatus for providing toe-in control to a vehicle. Additionally, the invention is directed to providing toe-in control for a vehicle including an apparatus for providing steering stability to a vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When an automobile is moving essentially straight ahead, it is desirable that the steered front wheels be angled slightly towards each other such that the wheels are closer to each other at the front of the pair than at the back. This arrangement, which is known as toe-in, provides increased stability for the vehicle. However, when the vehicle is required to execute a turn, the toe-in of the front wheels tends to counteract the steering control such that the automobile does not traverse upon the desired turning path. Therefore, in the prior art, if it was desired to obtain increased vehicular stability during straight-ahead driving by providing toe-in, the maneuverability of the automobile would have to be compromised.
Additionally, during vehicle motion, such as cornering, for example, vehicle handling dynamics are affected by various parameters such as road conditions, tire characteristics, weight distribution, braking, accelerating, and the like, which can lead to oversteer or understeer conditions. In an effort to deal with this problem and attempt to maintain vehicle handling dynamics constant, there have been heretofore proposed complex suspension link systems, drive train arrangements, and braking systems. However, such proposed systems involve relatively numerous parts which undesirably increase the complexity and size of the system.